Internal-combustion engine



May 7, 1,929. G. FoRNAc'A 1.711,882

INTERNAL ,coMBusT'IoN ,'ENGINE Filed Nov. 2e, 1927 I2 sheets-sheet 1rru/fia 2i ern, a. a

May 7, 1929. G. FORNACA 1,711,882

INTERNAL COMBUSTINA ENGINE Filed Nov. 26, 1927- 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2UNITEDj STATI-3s PATENT oFFlcE.

omino romance, on TURIN, ITALY.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION' ENGINE.

Application led November 26, 1927, Serial No. 285,952, and in ItalyAugust 28,1987.

This invention relates to valve gearings for engines having severalgroups of cylinders, said groups being located side by side, parallelwith each other and having each a crank y 5 shaft, which crank shaftsare parallel with each other. In engines of this kind the several crankshafts are interconnected by a toothed gearing including a member whichtransmits the driveto a -driving shaft orto a propeller or the like, inmotor cars, aircraft, and the like.

' The invention has for its obj ect to provide an engine of the kindabove referred to,.in which the cylinders of two adjacent groups i5 arearranged in such a manner that the valves of the same character (asinlet valves) in the cylinders of said4 adjacent groups face oneanother.` Between said facing valves is mounted a cam shaft whichoperates the said valves of like character in both groups of cylinders;the valves of other character being located on the remote sides of thecylinder groups and being controlled by another common cam shaft.

Moreover, in the present invention the cam shaft serving twogroups ofcylinders comprises a number of cams which equals the number ofcylinders of a-single group, and all the cam shafts of the engine areidentical with one another and consequently are interchangeable.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated by way of example oneembodiment of this invention and Figure 1 is a cross section of theengine;

Figure 2 is a diagram of the drive of the cam shafts;

Figure 3 is a diagram of the arrangement of the parts of the engine. Y v

In the embodiment illustrated, the-engine comprises two parallel groupsof cylinders I--II having their axes parallel with each other,l saidcylinders being arranged in line on a common crank casing 22; each group46 comprises six parallel and aligned cylinders and has a crank shaft23, 24 with six cranks at 120 each other.

The crank shafts 23-24 are connected by In accordance 4with thisinvention, the cylinders of the left hand'G'rou' I have'their valves 7of one character Fas their inlet valves) on the right side, while theinlet valves 7 of the right hand Group II of cylinders are located onthe left side,'the being 60 thus close to and infront of valves-7 of thecylinders of Group I.

Intermediate said valves and cooperating therewith 'is arranged a camshaft 8 comprisingsix cams 10, and each of these cams operates the inletvalves of adjacent cylinders of said two groups, the axis of the valvesof like'. character in the adjacent cylinders of adjacent and parallelgroups being located in the same transverse plane (see cylinders Fig.3).

This result is obtained in this engine (which is assumed tobe afour-stroke cycle one,'with ignition taking place in the order1--1'--22'33'4L-4'-55'f-6-6' (Fig. 3)) by arranging rocking arms 9'-9"in such a manner that the phases of the valve of one of the cylinders ofthe transverse pair are displaced through with respect to the phases ofthe valve of the other cylinder of the same pair.l The cam shafts 11',11" which `operate rocking arms 13', 13" of the exhaust ,valves 14:',14, comprise cams 15', 15 having the same phase and extent as cams 10 ofshaft 8, and the three shafts 8-11'11" rotate in the same direction,being driven from shaft 16 by gearings 17', 18, 19, 20', 21', 20", 21"consequently the three cam shafts 8 90 11'-11" are alike and they may bereplaced one by another, this being ofcourse a great advantage inpractice.

The described arrangement .may of course be embodied in engines havingmore than two g5 groups of cylinders;l in such case, in the sev-- eralpairs ofl cylinder groups the adjacent valves have the same function andthey are operated by a single intermediate cam shaft,

the external .sets of valves being operated each by a separate camshaft.

What I claim as my invention and desire to Secure by United StatesLetters Patent` 1s:- l v 1. An engine comprising a plurality k.of groupsof cylinders, said cylinders being parallel and aliofned in each groupand-the several lgroups being parallel and adjacent to each other,valves in said cylinders, the valves of the same character beingprovided parallel and aligned in each group and the several groups beingparallel and adjacent to each other, valves in said cylinders, thevalves of the same character being provided in portions of cylinders ofsaid groups facing each other, a cam shaft arranged intermediate eachpair of adjacent groups and yactuating said facing valves, saidcam shafthavin a number of cams equal to the number o cylinders of a singlegroup, the other valves of the cylinders being located in portions ofthe cylinders which are remote from each other, and a cam shaft for eachset of last named valves.

3. An engine comprising a plurality of groups of cylinders, saidcylinders being parallel and aligned in each group and the severalgroups being parallel and adjacent to each other, valves in saidcylinders, the valves of the same character being provided in portionsof cylinders of said groups facing each other, a cam shaft arrangedintermediate each pair of adjacent groups and actuating said facingvalves, said cam shaft havin a number of cams equal to the number ocylinders'of a single groupand each of Said cams operating the facing oftwo transversely aligned cylinders of said groups, the other valves ofthe c linder being located in portions of the cylin ers which are remotefrom each other, and a cam shaft for each set of last named valves.

4. An engine comprising a plurality of groups of cylinders, saidcylinders being lparallel and aligned in each group and the severalgroups being parallel and adjacent to each other, valves in said clinders, the valves of the same character being provided in portions ofcylinders of said groups facing eachother, a cam shaft arrangedintermediate each pair of adjacent groups and actuating said facingvalves, the other valves of the cylinders being located in portions ofthe cylinders which are remote from each other, a cam shaft for each setof last named valves, and means driving all said cam shafts in ythe samedirection. f

5. An engine comprising a plurality of groups of cylinders, saidcylinders being parallel and aligned in each group and the severalgroups being parallel and adjacent to each other, said cylinders havinglike inlet and exhaust phases, valves in saidcylinders, the valves ofthe same character being provided in portions of cylinders of saidgroups facing each other, a cam shaft arranged intermediate each pair ofadjacent groups and actuating said facing valves, the other valves ofthe cylinders being located in portions of the cylinders which. areremote from each other, a cam shaft for each set of last named valves,all said cam shafts being interchangeable with one another, and meansdriving all said cam shafts in the same direction.

6. An engine comprising a casing, a plurality of rows of cylinders onsaid casing, the cylinders of each row being parallel with each otherand said rows being arranged in parallel lines on said casing, a crankshaft for each of said cylinder rows, pistons in said cylinders and rodsconnecting the pistons of the cylinders-of one of said rows with thecranks of the respective crank shaft, valves in said cylinders, thevalves of the cylinders of one row having the same character as thevalves facing them in the cylinders of an adjacent parallel row, a camshaft intermediate each pair of cylinder rows and having cams actuatingsaid valves of the same character, the other valves of the cylindersbeing located in the remote portions of the rows of cylinders, camshafts each actuating the last named valves of a cylinder row, anddriving means ihtergearing said cam shafts and crank shafts.

7. An engine comprising a casing, a plurality of rows of cylinders onsaid casing, the cylinders of each row being parallel with each otherand said `rows being arranged in parallel lines on said-casing, a crankshaft for each of said cylinder rows, pistons in said cylinders and rodsconnecting the pistons of the cylinders of one row with the cranksof-the respective crank shaft, valves in said cylinders, the valves ofthe cylinders of one row having the same character as the valves facinthem in the cylinders of an adjacent paral el row, a cam shaftintermediate each pair of cylinder rows having cams actuating saidvalves of the same character, the other valves lof the cylinders beinglocated in the remotel portions of the rows of cylinders, cam shaftseach actuating the last named valves of a cylinder row, and drivingmeansintergearing said cam shafts and crank shafts.

8. An engine comprising a casing, a plu-l rality of rows of cylinders onsaid casin the cylinders of each row being parallel wit each other andsaid rows being arranged in parallel lines on said casing, a crank shaftfor each of said c linder rows, pistons in said cylinders and ro sconnecting the pistons of the cylinders of one row with the cranks ofthe respective crank shaft, valves in said cylinders, the valves of thecylinders of one row having the same character as the valves facing themin the cylinders of anv adjacent parallel row, a cam shaft intermediateeach pair of cylinder rows having cams actuating said valves of the samecharacter, said cams being equal in number to the number of cylinders ofa single row, the other valves of the cylinders being located in theremote portio`ns of the rows of cylinders, cam shafts each actuating thelast named valves of acylinder row, and driving means intergearing saldcam shafts and crank shafts.

9'. An engine comprising a casing, a plurality of row of cylinders onsaid casing, the cylinders of each row being parallel with each otherand said rows being arranged in inders, the valves of the cylinders ofonerow having the same character as the valves facing them in thecylinders of an adjacent parallel row, said cylindershaving like inletand exhaust phases, a cam. shaft intermediate each pair of cylinder rowshaving cams actuating said valves of the samecharacter, the other valvesof the cylinders being located in the remote portions lof the rows ofcylinders, cam shafts each actuating the last named valves of a cylinderrow, and means intergearing said cam shafts and crank shafts to driveall said cam shafts in the same direction, all said cam shafts'beinginterchangeable with one another.

10. An engine comprising a casing, a plurality of rows of cylinders onsaid casing, the cylinders of -each row being parallel with each otherand said rows being arranged in parallel lines on said casing, a crankshaft for each of said cylinder rows, pistons in said cylinders and rodsconnecting the pistons of the cylinders of one row with the cranks ofthe respective crank shaft, valves in said cylinders, the valves of thecylinders of one row having the same character as the valves facing themin the cylindersof an adjacent parallel row, said cylinders having likeinlet and exhaust phases, a cam shaft intermediate each pair of cylinderrows having camsactuating said valves'of the same character,y

said cams being equal in number to the number of cylinders of a singlerow, the other valves of the cylinders being located in the remoteportions of the rows of cylinders, cam

f shafts each actuating the last named valves of a cylinder row, andmeans intergearing -said cam shafts and crank shafts to drive, all saidcam shafts in the same direction, all

said cam shafts being interchangeable with one another.

11. An engine comprising a casing, two rows each of six cylinders onsaidcasing, the

Vcylinders in each row being parallel with each other and said rowsbeing arranged in parallel lines on said casing, a crank shaft for eachcylinder row and pivoted in said cas-y ing, said crank shafts havingeach six cranks at 120 apart, pistons in said cylinders and rodsconnectingl the pistons of the cylinders of each row with the cranks ofthe respective crank shaft, valves in said cylinders, the valves ofthecylinders of one row having the same character as the valves facingthem in the cylinders of the adjacent parallel row, said cylindershaving like inlet and exhaust phases in both rows and the phases ofoperation of said valves being displaced'GOo from one another, a camshaft intermediate said cylinder rows having six cams at 60 apart andactuating said valves of the same character'in both rows of cylinders,the other valves of the cylinders being located in the remote sides ofthe cylinders of said rows, cam shaftseach havingsix cams at 60 apartand actuating the last named valves of one of said rows, and meansintergearing said cam shafts and crank shafts to drive all said camshafts in the same direction, said cam shafts being all interchangeablewith onev` another.v

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

GUIDO FORNACA.

